The Wolves of Hudson Creek
by engineerwenlock
Summary: Join Maddy, Rhydian and Shannon as they attend college in the US. Since I have not written anything for this story in awhile, I made the decision to post my summary for the rest of the story, rather than leaving it incomplete.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Moving On, Again**

"Shannon, sit down. Relax, I'm not mad. I just don't understand why you don't want to work for Segolia."

"I'm sorry, Becca. I love the work, but this Cerberus business has shown me that wolfblood genetics research is dangerous. We wanted to use it for good, but after what Alex tried to do, I - I don't have much faith that the benefits outweigh the risks."

"You're incredibly bright. You could do a lot of good in the field. Don't let one person's actions ruin your future."

"I'm sorry, but I can't just let it go. That kind of power. I don't like it."

"Well, genetics isn't the only research Segolia does. We even have partnerships with a few universities, so I might be able to find you a job as a research assistant while you're in school. We really don't want to loose you. You've proven yourself to be loyal to your friends and to wolfbloods in general. People like that are in short supply right now."

"Alright then."

"The thing is, most of our other research is outside of the UK. You'll have to be prepared to travel."

/

Maddy crouched down in the forest, using Eolas to feel the world around her. The forest at home had been green, mossy and full of life, and the trees there had wide leaves. Here, it was all pine and spruce. It was too cold for moss, and animals stayed out of sight. Yet the vast evergreen forests of Canada felt more wild than anywhere she had traveled in England. Standing under the stately trees with an icy wind tangling her hair, Maddy felt at peace with her small part in this vast wilderness.

Suddenly her moment of serene contemplation was shattered by a vision of her father, in his wolf form, terrified. He was being chased by a man with a gun.

Maddy sprinted in his direction, hoping to reach her dad before the man in plaid had a clear shot.

Out of breath, she stopped in the clearing where she had seen them. "Stop!" she shouted, "Mr. McDonald!* Don't shoot!"

"And why not, Ms - "

"Jones.** Maddy Jones. We live just up the road."

"Right. And tell me, Ms Jones, why shoun'I shoot this mongrel I caugh' eatin' one of my calves."

"Because... you don't have a license?"

"No' good enough. The game warden has cattle, too. He won't so much as bat an eye if he hears I shot the varmint wha's been eatin' our stock." He pulled back the lever on his rifle and let it go, making a menacing click.

Maddy's father was getting away. If she could just stall a bit longer... "Please, sir, you can't. I brought me camera. I aim to photograph it."

"Of all the nonsense..." The farmer put the gun up to his shoulder, took aim, and fired. A cloud of dust erupted from the ground, seven meters to the left of the wolf. He fired again. This time, the shot was closer - about two meters to the right. The wolf picked up his pace, sprinting to the trees that marked the edge of the clearing.

Out of frustration, Mr. McDonald took one final shot and a bullet slammed into a tree trunk. "Look wha' yah made me do!" he shouted, "Get ou' o' here! Aren' you supposed to be in school?"

"I'm home-schooled, sir," Maddy replied.

"Bleedin' hippies! Well either way, ge' off mah proper'y!"

"Yes sir!" Maddy called over her shoulder as she ran away.

She caught her father's scent trail, and caught up with him half a mile from their caravan***. Daniel had transformed back into a human. "Thanks, Maddy," he said, breathing heavily, "I thought for sure I was a goner that time."

"Well, we know Old Mad McDonald is trigger happy."

"Don't call him that, young lady."

"Why not? He can't hear me."

"Yeah but your mother doesn't like it," Daniel replied, sternly.

"All right. But he is mad though. What was he goin' on about, you eating his calves?"

"Er-"

"You didn'!" Maddy laughed, "All this time you've been tellin' us to stay away from the livestock. Turns out you just wanted it for yourself."

Daniel exclaimed, "It was just this once! I was getting so tired of nothing but rabbits all the time."

"Right. Well, I won' tell mam about that, but you owe me one."

"Fair enough."

"Won't tell me what?" shrieked Emma, running towards them from the caravan, "Does this have anything to do with those shots I just heard?"

"Drat mam's excellent hearing," Maddy said, "Looks like you're on your own, Dad." She made a hasty retreat, muttering about starting supper back at the caravan.

She was met at the door by Rhydian, who looked concerned.

"I wouldn't go out there just yet, if I were you," she warned.

"Noted," he replied, as he pulled her in for a kiss.

Maddy heard her own heartrate speed up as she returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his back. She could feel his heart racing as well. He'd joined her family in Canada months ago, but sometimes she couldn't believe he was actually here. She'd spent so long dreaming of their reunion, and now she relished every moment they had together. And moments alone didn't last long.

Rhydian gave her one last, lingering kiss, before pulling away and saying, "I think I hear your parents coming closer."

"Yeah," Maddy agreed, "Mam's getting all worked up. Wouldn't do for them to catch us snogging just now. How was town?"

"Good. There were a few letters in the PO box. You've got one from Shannon. And I managed to get all the supplies we need, including a nice side of beef."

Maddy smirked.

"What?"

"You're a little late there. Mr. McDonald just caught dad eating a calf."

/

At dinner, Emma was still lecturing her husband, "Dan, I don't know what you were thinking. You could've been seen, or killed."

"I know. I've already said I'm sorry at least a dozen times."

"Well, you obviously don't understand the gravity of the situation."

"I made a mistake. But all McDonald saw was a wolf. Not that uncommon 'round here."

"You took an unnecessary risk. One more incident like that and we head north, winter or not."

"Mam," said Maddy.

"Not now, dear," Emma replied.

"But mam, I have an idea. We could go south."

"Maddy, you know why we can't do that. Wolves and people - it just doesn't work here. Today was a great example of that. The farther south we go, the greater risk we take."

"But that's just it. Wolves are protected in America."

"America," Dan scoffed, "They've got more guns there than anyone else in the world."

"I've had a letter from Shannon. She's going to university in Montana. She'll be part of a program that studies the wolves of Yellowstone National Park."

Emma remarked, "So this is about you wanting to be close to Shannon again. Please don't put your friendship above our safety."

"I think you should listen to her," Rhydian said, taking Maddy's hand.

"As I was saying," Maddy continued, "Shannon is studying the wolves of Yellowstone Park. No one is allowed to shoot them there. And its big. Two million acres. That's nearly twice the size of all of Northumberland."

"And if Shannon's going to University there, maybe we could, too," added Rhydian.

"We'll think about it," said Emma.

Maddy smiled, knowing the battle was half won.

**Author's Notes:**

* Mr. McDonald is an ornery old Scotsman who immigrated to Canada to become a cattle rancher in Alberta. Not that he's a major character.

** Maddy's family changed their names, remember. It's not illogical for them to keep their first names and just ditch the surname.

*** Or RV, for us Americans.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Surprise**

Dear Shannon,

We're back in civilization, so I get to email you again, instead of spending all that time waiting for the post. This time, I think we'll be staying for awhile. Mum and Dad have both found jobs, and they got some money from the sale of the house in Stoneybridge, so they put that towards our new house. It's a leaky old ranch house, but it came with about a hundred acres of land. We're digging a new den, but until then, we spend the full moons splashing in the creek that runs through our property. No one has tried to shoot us yet. For the first time since Rhydian joined us and told us about all that terrible business at Segolia, I've actually seen Mum relax. It doesn't feel like home yet, especially without you and Tom and our other friends, but it's a fresh start, and I think we needed that. And there's a town nearby with a university that Rhydian and I will be attending this fall.

I'm so excited you'll be going to school in America. We'll be on the same continent again!

Oh, that reminds me. Mum said it'd be alright to invite you to join us for a holiday before school starts. I know you'll be spending so much time in Yellowstone studying the animals there that you'll probably be sick of it, but mum and dad wanted to go camping there for a week. They chose it because then you can come with us and it won't be too much trouble to drop you off at school on the way home. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, get them for a week before orientation, then we'll pick you up at the airport in Billings. From there, it'll be a week of geisers and grizzy bears before we drop you off at MSU and you get all swotty and boring for the rest of the year.

I hope you can come,

Maddy

/

A voice came over the intercom, "We are beginning our final descent to the Billings Logan International Airport. Please fasten your seatbelts and lock your tray tables in the upright position. Local time is 2:50 pm, with mostly sunny skies and a temperature of seventy-nine degrees. Thank you for flying Delta Airlines flight 9981. Have a nice day!"

_Seventy-nine degrees?_ thought Shannon, in a panic. Then she reminded herself that this was America, and they hadn't converted to the metric system yet. _Add that to the list of things I'll have to get used to._ She sighed and closed her laptop. _At least I'll get to see Maddy again, before I start university, by myself, in a town I've never been to, halfway across the world from home._

She placed her laptop in her bag and closed the zipper. Then she put up the tray table and took off her watch so she could set it to 2:50. The clock on her laptop still said 9:50 pm, which was the time back home.

/

Maddy met Shannon at the baggage claim area and they greeted each other with an enthusiastic hug. "I'm so glad you're finally here!" Maddy exclaimed. "Let's get your bags, then we'll head out to the truck."

"Where is everyone?" Shannon asked.

"Oh they stayed at h- er they stayed behind to get ready for the trip. Mam's collecting the food, and Dad and Rhydian are working on the caravan."

"So you drove here? By yourself?"

"Yeah. It was only about two hours."

"Wow. I don't even have my license."

"Well you'll be alright in town. They've got a bus system. Will you be living in the dormitories?"

"No. Segolia owns a small house near campus that the use for when company reps visit the university. They said they'd let me stay there, free of charge. Becca recommended doing that instead of the dorms so I could focus on my studies better."

By now, the two friends had found Shannon's bags and were carrying them to the parking lot. They chatted pleasantly as they loaded the suitcases into the back of the faded blue truck. Shannon walked around to the left side of the truck.

"You drivin' then?" Maddy asked.

"No," said Shannon, confused. Then she saw the steering wheel and sheepishly ran around to the other side.

The two friend shared a laugh. Maddy remarked, "Took me some getting used to as well. And sadly, driving on the wrong side of the road isn't the worst problem here. We still can't find a channel that shows Doctor Who."

It wasn't until they had been on the road for about ten minutes when something dawned on Shannon, "Maddy, how did you know about the bus system in Bozeman?"

"Oh, er, I was bored one day so I looked up your school. They mentioned the buses on their website. Shannon, you must be exhausted. We've still got a fairly long drive ahead. Why don't you take a nap?"

"You sure you don't want someone to talk to while you drive?"

"Shan, I think you'll fall asleep whether we're talking or not. At least this way, it won't be in the middle of a sentence."

Shannon nodded and balled up her jacket so she could use it to prop up her head on the passenger side window.

/

Shannon woke from her nap as she felt the truck decelerating. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. She saw a bright green road sign which read: Bozeman - 10 miles, Butte - 95 miles, Spokanne - 415 miles. Maddy was turning off the freeway and onto a two-lane road. Groggilly, Shannon asked, "Where are we going?"

"Oh we'll be staying the night here before we leave for Yellowstone in the morning."

"Mkay," said Shannon, closing her eyes again.

They turned onto a bumpy road, and Shannon gave up on her nap entirely. She sat up and looked around, simultaneously taking in the scenery and stretching her neck. They drove under a wooden archway, painted with the words, _Hudson Creek Ranch._ Maddy pulled into the driveway of a farmhouse and stopped the truck.

"What's going on, Mads? This isn't a campsite."

"No," Maddy replied, "This is my parent's place."

"But its - "

"Thirteen miles from Bozeman. Yeah."

"So then, where are you going to school?"

"Same as you! Montana State University. Surprise!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"I know there are birds in these woods. I heard them chirping away this morning. But now that I've go my camera out, they've all flown away," Shannon remarked, frustrated. It was the second day of the Yellowstone trip, and Shannon was determined to get some good photographs of their vacation.

"Maybe its us," Rhydian suggested, "To them, Maddy and I probably smell scary."

Maddy could tell he was planning something. He was trying to sound casual, but he couldn't hide the mischievous look in his eyes that usually came when he was trying to get away with breaking the rules at school.

"The olfactory systems on small birds is shockingly underdeveloped - they can barely smell thier food, let alone predators."

Of course Shannon would know that.

"We'll maybe we sound scary," Rhydian countered.

"Don't wolves usually go for bigger prey?"

"Yeah, but I'm getting pretty hungry," Maddy jumped in, "Maybe they taste like chicken."

"Gross!" said Shannon, and even Rhydian pulled a face.

"Only jokin'..."

"I'm starting to think you're right. Would you two mind if I spent a couple hours hiking by myself?" Shannon asked, hesitantly.

"Not at all," Rhydian replied, almost too eagerly.

After they were out of earshot, Maddy asked Rhydian, "What was that all about?"

"I don't know what you mean," he replied, trying to sound innocent.

"I'm not buying that. You're up to something."

"Nothing gets past you."

"And?"

"And what?"

"Aren't you going to tell me?"

"You'll have to catch me first." And with that, he took off running further into the woods.

Laughing, Maddy followed.

He finally slowed down when he reached a meadow. Maddy saw that as an opportunity, so she sped up and caught him in a bear hug, attempting unsuccessfully to tackle her much taller boyfriend. She gave up and gave him a quick kiss instead.

"This is why I don't play American football," she said.

"Most women don't," he replied.

"True. So what were you going to tell me?"

"Nothing much. I just wanted to spend the afternoon with my girlfriend," Rhydian remarked, pulling a picnic blanket out of his pack.

"Oh, you're so sweet!"

"Don't be so quick to say that. Its not a very fancy meal."

He pulled out Gatorade, ham and cheese sandwiches, two apples and some teriaki beef jerky.

"I dunno about that. Jerky is literally the best thing about this country."

"Was 'til you moved here."

"Why Rhydian Morris! You like me more than beef jerky? That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me!"

He snorted, and she threw grass at him, laughing.

This led to a tickle fight and a fair amount of kissing. But it was kissing of the sort that you can't take seriously, as one or both of the participants was likely to start laughing again at any moment.

Eventually, the couple ate their lunch, then they packed up their garbage and lay on the picnic blanket, watching the clouds go by.

After awhile, Rhydian sat up and said, "Maddy, there's something I need to ask you about."

"Alright, what is it? You seem so serious all of a sudden."

"Well, I've been thinking about moving into the dorms when school starts."

"But why?"

"Your parents have been very kind to me, to let me tag along with your family when we were in Canada, moving around so often, but now that we're settled, I don't want to impose."

"That's rubbish. They don't mind."

"No, Maddy, _ you _don't mind."

"Have they said anything to you?"

"No, but they don't have to. And with my dad paying my tuition, we'll he's already offered to pay for me to stay in the dorms."

"But what about our early morning runs? And where will you go for the full moon?"

"It's only twenty minutes away. I'll come back loads. And we'll be going to the same school."

"Yeah but - no, we're on vacation. Let's enjoy it. We'll worry about this when we get back." Maddy transformed into a wolf and ran into the woods.

Author's note:

Gerwin (sp?) got a nice fat check from Segolia, as compensation for all the crap they put him through. They also gave some money to all the wolfbloods Alex Kincaid used the serum on, including Rhydian and Jana. And Shannon and Tom too. The younger beneficiaries of this have been encouraged to save their money until they're older.

I love reviews. Why don't you take thirty seconds and tell me what you thought of my story?

But you hear that all the time. Lets start a review chain. With your review, how about you leave the name (and link if possible)for a story you want me to read and review. It can be your own or another authors'. (Disclaimer: If its a really long story, I can't promise I'll read more than a couple chapters.)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Maddy heard Rhydian calling her name, but she stubbornly refused to transform back into a human. Instead, she answered his call with a playful howl. This was their last week before school started. She didn't want to waste it arguing, so she was glad to see his wolf come bounding into the forest. She inclined her head, motioning him to follow her and they took off running into the woods.

The scenery here was beautiful. Experiencing it as a wolf was even more amazing. The one drawback was that, while the birds may not have been able to smell them, the rest of the wildlife could. Maddy's family had seen a single deer in their drive in, and that was it as far as large game. Even bears knew to stay away from a healthy pack of four adult wolves. (Although Shannon has a theory that Maddy's family didn't smell exactly like their animal counterparts.)

Regardless, she was glad to be running free with Rhydian. It gave her a good chance to asses his fitness as a mate. They would have strong cubs togeth-

WAIT, WHAT? She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It was one thing to find herself thinking about red meat while she ran around on all fours, but this was a whole new level of crazy.

She looked around desperately for something to distract her. The only thing she saw was a small stream. She veered toward it and jumped in, causing a huge splash. Rhydian stopped at the edge of the water, his eyes twinkling.

Maddy willed herself to become human again, hoping her boyfriend would follow suit, because she wanted to hear him laugh.

/

That evening, after dinner, while Dan and Emma wenrt for a late-night hike, Maddy and her friends roasted s'mores around the campfire. That was another American food Maddy was becoming quite fond of.

"Shannon," Maddy asked, "did you get any good photographs this afternoon?"

"Yeah. I even saw a buffalo from a distance. I didn't get very good photos of him, but I hope to learn how to enhance the ones I have in our digital photography class."

"I'm so excited we have that class together."

"Yeah, " Shannon replied, " you know, its the only fun class I have this semester. Other than that its all maths and science."

"Wow, your schedule in the ecology program is totally different from graphic design," Rhydian observed, "They're starting me off easy. This semester, I get to take my fun art electives - I've got sketching and ceramics. Then I have a computer graphics class and a couple generals. But all of my hard classes happen during Junior and Senior year."

"Please pass the marshmallows," said Maddy.

"Here you go Mads, and could you pass me the chocolate?" Shannon responded.

"Can't. I ate the last of this bar, but there's more in the bag behind Rhydian's chair."

Rhydian fished around for a second, then said, "Got it," and tossed the new bar of chocolate over to Shannon.

She tried and failed to catch it. "Drat!" she exclaimed, getting up from her chair to pick up the candy bar off the ground. "At least it hasn't been opened yet. So, Maddy, tell me about your other classes."

"Oh you know, just a bit of everything. Haven't decided on a particular course of study just yet. So I'm just taking me general requirements to get them out of the way. I've got all of my classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so I can find a part time job on Tuesday and Thursday."

"That sounds great," Shannon replied.

"Yeah. Classes should be pretty easy, so I think I'll have the most fun out of the three of us."

"I dunno about that," Rhydian countered, "I'm really looking forward to my ceramics class."

After that, the conversation moved into lighter subjects, the friends just enjoying each other's company. The firelight reflecting on their faces gradually got dimmer. Having finished with the s'mores, and given the fact that it was a warm August night, no one felt the need to stoke it. They were comfortable in their chairs, and they had built the fire safe distance from anything flammable, so they felt no immediate need to extinguish it either.

Thus, when Dan and Emma returned from their hike, they found their campsite quiet. The only sound was the crackling of coals, and the three friends were staring into the firepit, starting to nod off. Well, Maddy and Rhydian were. Shannon, still coping with jet lag, was fast asleep in her camp chair.

Dan said, "Why don't you kids go to bed now. We can deal with the fire."

Shannon woke with a start. "What's on fire?" she asked, worried.

"Nothing that's not supposed to be, Shan," Maddy assured her, "Let's get you to bed."

The two girls walked to the tent they shared. Rhydian got up and went to bed as well.

"G'night," said Shannon, groggily as she slipped into her sleeping bag.

"Night," Maddy replied. But she couldn't fall asleep just yet. There was too much on her mind.

She could hear her parents talking by the fire.

Dan remarked, "I can't believe our little girl is starting University next week. She grew up so fast!"

"Yet not fast enough," Emma replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Its just that Shannon know exactly what she wants to do for a career. Even Rhydian has a plan. But Maddy..."

"Ah, she'll figure it out. She's young. She's got time."

"I know. I just worry about her. She doesn't always make the best choices. And it'd be hard enough just being a human girl. She has an entire other realm of problems to deal with."

The hiss of someone pouring water in the coals made it impossible to hear any more of the conversation. But she had heard enough to make it even more difficult to fall asleep.

Author's notes:

Wolves reach mating age after two to four years. Not unbelievable that Maddy's wolf would start thinking of such things a few years after her first transformation.

Disclaimer: I did not attend college at MSU. Nor did I major in Ecology or Graphic Design. As such, my descriptions of MSU and the characters' majors do not reflect the reality of those programs. I chose MSU for thus story based mostly on its location, and the majors based on what I know about those characters. I will do my best to give an accurate portrayal of the college experience, but remember that this is a work of fiction.

I consider extreme fear of fire to be more pronounced in wild wolfbloods than in those who have live as humans for years. Thus, Rhydian, Maddy and her parents are comfortable using it while camping. Not saying they are pyromaniacs, just that they can deal with it better than Jana can.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **In case you hadn't guessed by now, I don't own Wolfblood. I blog stalk Debbie Moon because she has some great things to say about storytelling. But, that's about as close as it gets. Too bad, because I make really good brownies, and I would totally use that as a bargaining chip to get Aimee Kelly to come back to the show.

Also, I did not attend MSU or get an ecology degree. Everything I write about the characters' college experience is fiction. While it may (I hope) be a reasonably believable description, any resemblances to a real-world degree, professor or university are purely coincidental. Please don't make any decisions about college based on my story.

**Chapter 5**

Shannon stared at her schedule for the day, trying to memorize it on her short bus ride to campus. It went as follows:

8:30 - Biology 1610

9:30- Chemistry 1210

10:30 - Math 1210 (Calculus I)

11:30 - free period

12:30 - Ecology 1210

1:30 - Photography 1100

It was the same schedule on Wednesday and Friday, except on Wednesday at 2:30, she had a chemistry recitation. Tuesday, she had a biology lab, followed by a chemistry lab. Thursday was just her biology lab. She would spend the rest of Thursday and all of Saturday working for the professor Becca had set her up with. She was meeting with him today during her free period to discuss her duties in the lab.

Shannon got off the bus and walked to her class. She had convinced Maddy and Rhydian to spend a good part of the day yesterday familiarizing themselves with the campus. It paid off - she found the building where her biology class was held without a problem. She walked into the classroom and was shocked to find a massive auditorium.

So not only was the campus bigger than her school back home, but the classes were as well. She found a seat in the middle of the room, feeling overwhelmed. She leaned over, tapping the girl in front of her on the shoulder. "Is this Biology 1610?" she asked.

"Yeah," the girl replied, "at least I think it is. Seems like the right place. Ilooked this class up online and it says five hundred people are in it. I've done a rough estimate on the number of seats here, and that looks about right." The girl's brown, naturally curly hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail. She wore wrinkled grey t-shirt with the words, 'Byte Me' on the front.

"Oh," said Shannon.

"Of course I've heard that the lectures are recorded for this class, so hardly anyone shows up after the first week anyways."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Oh just some people who had this class last year."

"Was there some sort of opening social that I missed, or something?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, how have you already met other students?"

"Oh you must be freshman."

"Yeah," said Shannon.

"I'm a sophomore. I'm studying computer science. I'm Lauren, by the way." the girl told Shannon.

Relieved that she hadn't missed anything, she replied, "I'm Shannon. I didn't know biology had anything to do with computer science."

"Oh, I'm doing an emphasis in Bioinformatics."

"I've heard about that field. It must be fascinating."

"Nah. Just pays well. It's just like any other macrodata analysis career," Lauren said casually, "So where are you from?"

"England."

"Where in England?"

"A little town in Northumbria called Stoneybridge."

"Oh is that near London?"

"Not at all. Much closer to Scotland actually."

"Well geography was never my strong suit. Um, cool... So what brought you here?"

"Well its sort of a long story, but the short version is, I'm studying ecology here. A friend got me a position in a research lab on campus, studying the ecological impact of a keystone species' reintroduction into an ecosystem," Shannon explained, excitedly.

"Wow, that's a mouthful."

"Wolves. I'm studying wolves."

"You could've just said that in the first place."

"Sorry. Well, it looks like the professor's here. Better turn around," Shannon said, anxiously.

"Oh the first day of class lecture is always the same."

Shannon looked worried. "But this is my first class here, ever."

"Alright. I'll let you pay attention. Don't cramp your hand taking notes. The syllabus is online," said Lauren. And with that, she turned around, opened up her laptop and began playing Minecraft.

/

Chemistry was in the same lecture hall as biology. Shannon got up during the ten minute break between classes and stretched her legs. "I hope all my classes aren't this big," she said to herself.

Lauren had been right. The 'first day of class' lecture in chemistry was remarkably similar to the one in biology. Mostly logistics, the course schedule, and some pointers on how to do well in the class. There was one exciting moment when the professor demonstrated a chemical reaction, and the gasses from it caught fire. Then there was the announcement that there would be no labs or recitations this week and a reminder that the students needed to purchase lab coats and goggles, and students were dismissed.

After Chemistry was over, Shannon gathered her things, got up, and walked to her maths class. It was in a different building, and she was grateful for the chance to be outside for a few moments. It was a beautiful day.

Calculus was in a much smaller room - it looked like there would be about forty students in the class. While this was still bigger than she was used to, it was better than a five-hundred person lecture hall.

Next, she had her meeting with Dr. Rutledge. His office was on the second floor of an older building, lit with industrial style florescent lighting. The brick walls were painted a pale yellow and covered in posters depicting research finding, probably from the labs in the building. The floors were linoleum, stained in places. This floor of the building was a maze of offices and laboratories. Luckily, she saw a map on the wall. Realizing the professor's office was on the other side of the building, she picked up her pace, her shoes clicking on the floor.

Finally, she saw a sign that read, "Rooms 230 - 239," and turned down that hallway. The second-to-last door on the left had a blue plastic placard on the wall indicating that it was "Room 237, Professor Calvin D. Rutledge, PhD." Shannon knocked timidly.

A voice from inside called, "Come in." Shannon opened the door, revealing a chaotic office, with papers and textbooks stacked high on the desk and piled haphazardly on the shelves that completely filled one wall. A few scattered photographs depicting the professor at ski resorts and mountain bike tournaments were the only noticeable personal touches in the room.

"Hello," said Shannon.

"Hi," answered the wiry man at at the desk, standing up to shake her hand, "You must be Miss Kelly." His hands were heavily calloused and his face was tan and beginning to wrinkle. Shannon guessed he was in his late thirties or early forties. He was clad in a plaid button-up shirt and well-worn blue jeans.

"That's me," Shannon responded.

"Great," he replied, "Come with me, I'll give you a tour of the lab."

He showed her the workbenches and computer area, then the storage room for field equipment.

"While we're in the lab, you'll spend a lot of your time cleaning equipment," he explained as they walked, "That's where everybody starts out. By this time next year, you'll be doing mostly data analysis, and we'll have hired someone else to clean up."

"Fine by me, sir."

"Good because you don't have much of a choice." He laughed good-naturedly, then continued, "As we discussed via email, you'll be paid $7.50 an hour for work here, and a hundred bucks a day for trips into the field. The trips'll be a school excused absence, but you'll still need to make up the work and tests you miss. Just double checking, you don't mind camping, right?"

"Not at all."

"Good. That's all but required for any ecology work that involves field studies. And in my opinion, that's the only kind of ecology that matters." He then proceeded to rant about an his former grad student who never wanted to leave the lab. Then he asked Shannon, "Dr. Whitewood told me you're good with a camera?"

"Well I was in the photography club in high school, and I'm taking a photography class this semester."

"Excellent. Mike and Trevor are great at most fieldwork, but their specimen photos look like shit."

"Oh," said Shannon. She pursed her lips, then asked, "Who are Mike and Trevor?"

"They're my other Undergraduate minions. Trevor's always around the lab, you'll meet him soon. And you should see Mike in class tomorrow. He's the TA."

"Class?"

"Damn, I forgot to send the email. I did that last year, too. I require everyone who works in my lab to take my population modeling course."

"Well, I already have a full schedule. Can it wait until the spring?"

"Sorry, but no. I only teach it in the fall. There'll be another course I teach in the spring that you'll need to take, too. Don't worry, they both count toward your degree, you're just taking them a year early. You've already had calculus, right?"

"No, but I'm in it this semester."

"Oh that'll be fine. We don't actually derive any equations until the last month or so."

"O-kay," said Shannon, nervously.

"You'll be fine," the professor assured her. "I did the same thing to Trevor last year, and he turned out alright. I'll just write the counselor a note and you can head down right now and change it."

"Um, I actually have a class in just a few minutes."

He looked at his watch and asked, "Is it Joan's class?"

She pulled her schedule out of her pocket, "Um, it says Dr. Erickson.'

"ECOL 1220?"

"Yes."

"Yeah that's Joan's class. She just hands out the syllabus, talks for about five minutes and then lets you leave. You'll have plenty of time after that to visit the adviser's office. Especially because Joan's class and the office are both in this building. Now run along. Joan hates it when her students are late."

"Thank you, sir. Goodbye."

"See ya Thursday."

"Yes, sir."

Dr. Erickson talked for closer to fifteen minutes, but after that, just as Dr. Rutledge had predicted, she had let the class go early. From the fifteen minute lecture, Shannon got the impression that, while this professor had high expectations for her students, she also loved a good laugh. Shannon was fairly certain this would be her favorite class.

The counseling office was just around the corner. Shannon explained her situation to the secretary who said, "Your adviser's with another student right now, but you can see her after she's done with him. Have a seat over there," she pointed to some chairs in the corner of the office, "and I'll call you over in a few minutes."

Shannon sat down and thumbed through the course catalog on the table in front of her. She found Dr. Rutledge's class, ECOL 2260. It was a sophomore-level course, and the prerequisites were three classes Shannon was taking this semester (biology, calculus and ecology). The brief course description included two words she'd never seen before. It was also an early morning class - 7:30 am on Tuesday and Thursday.

Next, Shannon looked at her own schedule. Full time students could take anywhere between thirteeen and eighteen credit hours. Below that, they were part-time students, and to go above that, they needed special permission. Shannon was currently at seventeen credits. This new class was three credits, putting Shannon up to twenty credits. She double checked her math. Yep, twenty credits. She had been told that every credit corresponded to an hour of class time and three hours of homework time per week. Two of her classes also had labs, which didn't count towards that number. So, twenty hours of class time, up to seven hours of labs and sixty hours of homework. Plus ten to fifteen hours of work for Dr. Rutledge. And that was on the weeks when she wasn't going to be out doing overnight field work trips. So 102 hours of school and lab work, out of 168 hours in a week. That only left sixty-six hours. If she slept eight hours a night, that was another fifty-six hours down the drain, which left ten hours for food and hygiene. She hadn't even had time for lunch today, and the first day of school was supposed to be the easiest. Now that she was sitting down and thinking about lunch, her stomach grumbled. She remembered packing some snacks that morning, so she pulled out an apple and took a bite.

A few minutes later, the secretary called her over and she threw away her apple core and walked into the adviser's office. It was well-organized and bright, with a window on the back wall. "Please, have a seat, honey," said the plump, older woman behind the desk. Her accent sounded like she had come straight out of _Gone with the Wind._ "What can I do for you today?"

"I need to add a class, but I've already got seventeen credits, so I'll need special permission."

"Oh dear." She clicked her tongue, then asked Shannon for her name and student number. The woman - Mrs. Margaret S. Caldwell, according to the nameplate on her desk - pulled up Shannon's records on the computer. "Now sweetie, what class do you need to add?"

Shannon handed her the note.

"Oh that Dr. Rutledge. He did this to a student last year, too. You poor thing. Now, unfortunately, we don't let anyone who hasn't been here at least a year take twenty credits. Most people can't handle that sort of stress."

Shannon buried her head in her hands, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Now sweetie, just take a deep breath and have a chocolate," Mrs. Caldwell said, pointing to the candy jar on her desk, "Let me have a look at your schedule and we'll see what I can do."

Shannon did as she was told, trying to compose herself.

After a few minutes, the adviser said, "Well, it looks like you can either drop Chemistry or Photography."

Shannon sighed, thinking for a moment, "I guess it'll have to be Photography, since I need Chemistry to graduate. I was so looking forward to it, too."

"Actually, dearie, you can take Chemistry next year."

"Really?" Shannon asked, perking up.

"Yes. About half of my students wait a year to take it. You'll be just fine. I'll just make the switch real quick and print you a new copy of your schedule. Dr. Rutledge's class will be tomorrow at 7:30 am, right here in this building."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Caldwell."

"No problem, sweetie. And you can call me Peggy Sue. Mrs. Caldwell is my mother-in-law." She handed Shannon the schedule and said, "Ba-bye now."

"Bye. Thanks again."

Shannon checked her watch. It was 1:35, and her photography class was all the way across campus.

Out of breath, she tried to enter the classroom quietly, but everyone turned to look at her. Shannon saw that Maddy had saved her a seat. She sat down, smiling gratefully at her friend.

**Author's notes:**

I'm not planning on going into this level of detail for all three characters' first day of school, but school will take most of Shannon's focus and time this semester, so I wanted to show a window into that.

One thing that makes Wolfblood so great is its fantastic supporting characters.  
This chapter, for me as a writer, was an exercise in introducing minor characters. I would love to hear your thoughts on Lauren and Dr. Rutledge as characters. What are your initial impressions of these people? Do you think I described them well (both in physical descriptions and in what they, themselves said and did?) If not, what could I have done differently?

A guest reviewer wanted to know what days I add new chapters. To be honest, its kind of sporadic. I've been sick this week, which means I have more time than usual. In general, I write when I have time, and it happens more on weekdays than on weekends. The best way to find out when I've posted a new chapter is to create an account and follow or favorite this story. That or check back every Wednesday (or another day of your choosing) and see what you missed. Sorry I can't give you a better answer. But thanks for the review :)

To another guest reviewer: I'll work on making chapters longer. Thanks for the advice. Looking back, I should have combined chapter 3 and chapter 4. Well, live and learn.

PS, I did a bit of research to make sure the swears in this chapter are ok for a T rating. Apparently even an occasional F bomb is allowed by the mods. If you guys disagree, let me know and I'll edit it.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I am very sorry but I will be abandoning this story. Life got in the way and I didn't have the time or inspiration to see this project through. Now, I have a little time to write again, but I have moved on to other projects.

I would like to thank all my lovely reviewers. You were so supportive. I'm sorry I let you down. I'd especially like to thank luckyduck22 for your long, detailed, kind reviews. I appreciate the time you spent to give me feedback. It really validated me as a writer.

As I was going through old notes, I found an unfinished chapter six for this story. Since I won't be finishing the story, the least I can do is post that and a summary of my plan for the story.

To be honest, my lack of direction was part of the reason I didn't finish this story. I had vague ideas of where I wanted to go, but I should have planned a bit better. In addition my story lacked a central conflict. I'm had plans for each of the characters to have their own struggles, but one of the beautiful things about Wolfblood is that it manages to balance the central conflict with individual character arcs. Without a central conflict, my story was three separate stories about friends growing up, and it was difficult for me to keep my focus.

So here is the unfinished chapterr six:

Chapter 6

"So, Rhydian, how was your first day of school?" Emma asked. She was making an extra effort to be polite to him, after an argument between herself and Maddy the day before. The whole pack was sitting around the dinner table, Shannon included.

"Oh, it was good. Just, you know... school."

"Good," Emma replied, "So did you get a chance to talk to the housing office?"

"Mam!" Maddy exclaimed.

"What?"

"Yeh make it sound as if yeh can' wait t' chuck him out!"

"Maddy, just leave it," Rhydian begged, "I don't want to have another row about this. I'm choosing to move out, ok."

She glared at her parents.

"And it's not just because of them," he continued, "I don't have a car yet, so living in town is better for me anyway, especially since I'll be spending hours in the studio for my art classes. Besides, we'll see each other at school everyday, and I'll come back for full moons."

"And weekends. That's still on the table, you know," Dan interrupted. They were paying the kids to work on the house on the weekends. It gave them some spending money, and Emma and Dan really did need help with the house.

"Abou' that," said Maddy, "I'll be spending Sunday afternoon at the school. I've got a job. Well, it will be a job."

"That sounds exciting," Emma said, "What will you be doing?"

"Mam, it's not that exciting," Maddy shrugged.

"Yes it is," Shannon interjected, "She'll be on staff at the school newspaper."

"Shannon, I told you, I'm not on staff yet. This semester is a trial period. They won't even start paying me for my work until October. That is, if they haven't chucked my by then. Besides, they didn't pick me because of my talent."

"Of course they did, dear," said Dan.

"No, da', they want me because the paper comes out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I'm free to work on layout on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It's more convenience than anything."

And that's where I stopped.

From here we have Rhydian moving out and dealing with obnoxious roommates. We're talking late night parties, hygiene issues and dirty dishes everywhere. Meanwhile he is trying to take school seriously. He knows he wants to be an artist, but understands how difficult it can be to make a living that way. He's wary of the corporate world (say, graphic design) because of his dad's experiences at Segolia, but he is constantly going back and forth between with the idea of passion vs steady paycheck.

Shannon initially bites off more than she can chew so to speak. Around the middle of the semester she goes on an amazing research trip to Yellowstone. She has a great week there, studying the wolves and other wildlife. She gets some great photos. She's the only girl on this trip and works hard to prove herself as a woman in science, especially outdoorsy science like ecology can be. She does well. (As have many women I've met who excel in all kinds of scientific fields.) I was also going to have her develop a friendship with the other lab techs, mainly Trevor, who is about as different from Shannon as a person can get. He's calm and pragmatic where she is passionate and throws herself into causes. He has a classic country boy attitude about hunting and guns, so there would have been a clash there. He's just as intelligent and academically driven as she is, so despite some conflict, they find that they work well together. Also, by this point, she and Tom are having trouble with the long distance relationship. I think she has a tendency to focus so much on what's in front of her that she ends up forgetting when they plan to talk and that takes its toll. So anyways, she gets back from this research trip and has like three exams and a photography project and manages to do well at all that, by missing tons of sleep and not eating well etc. As a result of that and because its the start of the illness season, she gets pretty sick for the next two weeks or so. Around this time, she and Tom break up.

Meanwhile, Maddie is living at home, going to school and having fun. She's trying to figure out what to do with her life, but when she gets really worried about it, she overcompensates by trying to have a lot of fun instead of think about the future. She's clashing with her parents (especially her mom) as a young adult in college still living with her parents. She wants independence, while her cautious mother is reluctant to let her little girl make her own way in life. And not only is she a young adult human, but a young adult Wolfblood. This causes more stress as she fights the biological instinct to mate and become a mother. This causes all sorts of awkwardness with Rhydian, especially because he has no idea what is going on with her because she kind of thinks she's going nuts so she doesn't really talk about it. So she is alternately all over him (when caught up in her instincts) and not wanting anything to do with him (when trying to overcome all that.). It makes their relationship difficult, as would any uncontrollable force pressuring someone to do something they're not ready for.

So when Shannon gets sick, Maddie goes to stay with her for a couple of days to take care of her. Then she has another fight with her mom and that few days becomes longer until she decides to be roommates with Shannon. This new freedom is good in some ways - it helps improve her relationship with her mom, but Maddie also makes some questionable decisions. Possibly a lot of drinking - that serves as an escape from all the maturing Wolfblood issues she's having. She has the most time out the three friends and gets bored a lot. She makes some new friends who do some questionable things - the drinking, maybe some dangerous thrill seeking ( not necessarily bad in itself but risks exposure for Maddie.). Her schoolwork slips but she is enjoying her new friends and freedom. This puts more strain on her relationship with Rhydian since he's trying so hard to be responsible (for their future, though that goes unsaid.). They may break up or they may just have a huge fight.

Meanwhile, Shannon has recovered and is working as hard as ever in school. But her arc from here is about finding balance and taking care of herself as well as accomplishing her academic goals. she learns how to say 'no' (even to good things) when she is spreading herself too thin. Her friendship with Trevor helps her learn how to balance life with school, because he's very good at that. As he turns up more and more around her place, there are some close calls with him finding out Maddie and Rhydian's secret. He eventually sees the wolves and is told (a la Maddie's explanation to her school) that they are pets. This fascinates him and he says he wants to go hunting with them. Shannon says they're scared of guns, but Trevor tells her he's a bow hunter. So he and Rhydian go hunting together, of course Trevor has no idea he's hunting with Rhydian. Anyway Trevor turns up a lot and he and Shannon begin flirting quite a bit. He is excited to learn she can sing, and tries to get her to sing country music with him. That is met with mixed success.

Meanwhile we've got something going on in the larger community that poses problems for our favorite pack. Maybe ranchers loosing cattle start hunting wolves. Maybe a change in the laws that means more danger for them. This is the part I hadn't really worked out. Anyway, Maddie and co get to the bottom of this. Maddie ends up writing an article that the school newspaper publishes. She realizes her tendency to get into trouble could be put to good use in investigative journalism, not to mention her super speed, smell and hearing. This helps draw her out the bad cycle she's in. And a chat with her mom and a special herbal concoction help deal with her Wolfblood instinct issues, and said concoction is the Wolfblood version of birth control so that's an added bonus.

Maddie tells Rhydian all about what's been going on with her and he's grateful for her honestly / tells her she can tell him anything, no need to be embarrassed. They come out of this issue with a relationship stronger than ever, but resolve to be patient and enjoy their relationship where it's at now, rather than jumping into anything monumental like moving in or marriage.

Shannon, meanwhile gets closer to Trevor after asking him for help sorting out the mess mentioned earlier. They share a kiss at the end. :)

/

Well, that's all, folks. I don't think I'll ever get around to writing it, so I thought I'd share it with you in this form. Thanks again for your love. This fandom is so great!

PS: Y'all totally have permission to write stuff based on this story. And just let me know, I'll make a note of it here.

PPS, I wrote this from my phone, so I apologize for any grammar issues, missing wordsbor typos. Haha its pretty finicky, so if I try to go back and fix errors I end up inadvertently creating more.


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